Gaul

See also: gaul

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French Gaule (“Gaul”), from Middle French Gaule (“Gaul”), from Old French Gaule, Waulle (“Gaul”), a word used as a translation of Latin Gallia (“Gaul”), from Frankish *Walha(land) (“Gaul, Land of the Romans, foreigners”) (but see etymology for Gallus), from *Walha (“foreigners, Romans, Celts”), from Proto-Germanic *walhaz (“an outlander, foreigner, Celt”), probably of Celtic origin, from the same source as Latin Volcae (“name of a Celtic tribe in South Germany, which later emmigrated to Gaul”). Akin to Old High German Walh, Walah (“a Celt, Roman, Gaul”), Old English Wealh, Walh (“a non-Germanic foreigner, Celt/Briton/Welshman”), Old Norse Valir (“Gauls, Frenchmen”). More at Wales/Welsh, Cornwall, Walloon, and Vlach/Wallachia.

Despite their similar appearance, Latin Gallia is not the origin of French Gaule; the similarity is purely coincidental. According to regular sound changes in the phonetic development of Old French, Latin g before a becomes j (compare gamba, whence jambe), and the i of terminal -ia transposes to the preceding syllable (compare gloire from gloria). Thus, the regular outcome of Latin Gallia is Jaille, a component still seen in several French placenames (e.g. La Jaille-Yvon, Saint-Mars-la-Jaille, etc.).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɡɔːl/
  • Homophone: gall

Proper noun

Gaul

  1. A Roman-era region roughly corresponding to modern France and Belgium

Translations

Noun

Gaul (plural Gauls)

  1. A person from Gaul.

Translations

Anagrams

German

Etymology

From Middle High German gūl. Cognate with Dutch guil (“old horse”)

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɡaʊl/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Gaul m (genitive Gaules or Gauls, plural Gäule)

  1. (regional) horse
  2. (more widespread) hack, nag (bad, old or incapable horse)

Declension
Declension of Gaul
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Gaul die Gäule
genitive eines des Gaules,
Gauls		 der Gäule
dative einem dem Gaul,
Gaule1		 den Gäulen
accusative einen den Gaul die Gäule
1Now uncommon, see notes

Further reading
  • Gaul in Duden online

Hunsrik
En Gaul

Alternative forms
  • kaul (Wiesemann spelling system)

Etymology

From Middle High German gūl. Cognate with German Gaul

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /kaʊ̯l/

Noun

Gaul m (plural Geil, diminutive Geilche)

  1. horse
    Die Geil sin schnell.
    The horses are fast.

Further reading

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German Gaul.

Noun

Gaul m (plural Geil)

  1. horse

Plautdietsch

Noun

Gaul f (plural Gaule)

  1. gall
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